Orange County Wine Tastings Dinners Winemaker Events Gayot

April 11-May 5
The third annual Disney's California Food and Wine Festival features four weeks of signature events, such as exclusive cooking courses at Napa Rose, expert wine instruction with a Master Sommelier, celebrity chefs, wine tasting dinners, an end-of-festival tasting extravaganza and a number of free culinary demonstrations. In addition, California Adventures' daily Taste of California Marketplace offers tapas-sized tastings like lobster lollipops, wild mushroom risotto, pepper-crusted beef tenderloin sliders and Ghirardelli chocolate marquise. All of these tempting offerings are for sale at select California Adventure locations with paired wines and beers. Some events require an additional fee and pre-registration, and events held in Disney’s California Adventure Park require theme park admission, which is not included in the event. Napa Rose, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, 1600 S. Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, CA 92802, 714-300-7170.

May 23-35
Newport Harbor's Balboa Bay Club & Resort hosts its fifth annual Food & Wine Festival. The three-day extravaganza features chefs from around the world along with master sommeliers, artisan food producers and elaborate menus with wine pairings. On May 23, there will be a "Taste Wine like a Master Sommelier" seminar at 5:30 p.m. for $55, followed by an Italian-inspired evening of food and wine for $125. On Saturday, an Italian luncheon hosted by family members of Italy's Antinori winery kicks off at 11:30 a.m. ($125). At 2:30 p.m., saké sommelier Louis de Santos presents both hot and cold sakés while chef Abe of Bluefin fame prepares accompanying sushi and sashimi ($80). Master sommelier Ron Mumford heads up a tasting of Shiraz and other international Rhône varietals ($80) also at 2:30 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., the festival will host its Grand Tasting ($145) in the resort's ballroom with tastings from more than 60 wineries and a seemingly never-ending buffet of imported cheese, carving stations, sushi, hot dishes and desserts. On Sunday morning, an indoor-outdoor Caribbean-style brunch ($95) features a calypso steel band. In the afternoon, guests can pick from three more events: a sparkling and rosé wine tasting at 2:30 p.m. ($60), a chocolate and wine pairing featuring chocolatier Norman Love at 4:30 p.m. ($80), and a cigar and Cognac tasting at 5:30 p.m. ($60). Balboa Bay Club & Resort, 1221 W. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach, CA 92663, 949-630-4146.

May 23
Motif, the classic Mediterranean-styled bistro at St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, is offering a Wines of Australia Dinner. Starting at 6:30 p.m. with a passed appetizer reception, the five-course dinner will feature wines from some of the 62 designated wine regions of Australia. The Australia-influenced dinner will be prepared by the resort's chef Frederic Castan, and includes such dishes as kangaroo filet with braised baby artichokes, truffle sauce and matchstick potatoes. The cost is $125 per person. Reservations must be made in advance. Motif, St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, One Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA 92629, 949-234-3765.

Ongoing
Il Fornaio crafts monthly "Festa Regionale" menus showcasing different regions of Italy, with special attention paid to the food, bread and wine of that area. Upcoming dates and regions include: Abruzzo, May 5-18; Sicilia, June 2-15; Sardegna, July 7-20; Toscana, August 4-17; Veneto, September 1-14; Lombardia, October 6-19; Umbria, November 3-16; and Best of Festa, December 1-14. Il Fornaio, 18051 Von Karman Ave., Irvine, CA 92612, 949-261-1444.

Ongoing
Bacchus’ Secret Cellar in Irvine’s Quail Hill Center holds themed tasting events almost every day of the week, 2 p.m.-5 p.m. For information on upcoming tastings, visit www.bacchussecretcellar.com. Bacchus' Secret Cellar, 6735 Quail Hill Pkwy., Irvine, CA 92603, 949-502-4600.

Ongoing
Newport Landing Restaurant and Oyster Bar announces its “Cruise & Dine Package.” Especially made for couples on romantic dates, this package starts with an hour-long electric boat cruise with drinks and appetizers around Newport Harbor. Then, return to Newport Landing for a three-course dinner and bottle of wine. The $160 package (per couple, excluding tax and gratuity) must be reserved in advance. Newport Landing and Oyster Bar, 503 W. Edgewater Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92661, 949-675-2373.

Ongoing
South Coast Winery Resort & Spa in Temecula now offers a behind-the-scenes winemaking tour. Tours run daily Monday-Friday at 10:30 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tour-goers stroll through the vineyards, explore the crush pad, enter the winery’s halls and drink wine right out of barrels. The $20 tour concludes with a private wine and cheese pairing. South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, 34843 Rancho California Rd., Temecula, CA 92591, 800-801-WINE.

Mondays
Five Crowns offers a specially-priced wine list on Monday evenings. Discounts of 20-40 percent are given to bottles that arrived with a missing or damaged label, or selections that have been recently dropped from the main wine list. Five Crowns, 3801 E. Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar, CA 92625, 949-760-0331.

Wednesdays
Calling all wine aficionados! Café Tu Tu Tango has an event just for you. Every Wednesday, every bottle of wine on the award-winning list is half-price. It's a great way to sample wines of the world. If you can grab a table on the patio, consider yourself lucky...and hang onto it all night. Café Tu Tu Tango, The Block at Orange, 20 City Blvd., Orange, CA 92868, 714-769-2222.

Wednesdays
For a gourmand’s mid-week night out, relax at The Island Hotel Newport Beach starting at 4 p.m. for “Pizza and Pinot” in the posh Palm Terrace Lounge. Gourmet pizzas are just $4 each with a glass of exceptional pinot noir from around the world. We enjoyed the classic margherita pizza along with the Taleggio cheese and crushed truffles with lobster and chives and the bleu cheese with black cherry jam and arugula. The Vegas-meets-Broadway singer and guitarist Jimmy Hopper croons until 10 p.m. Palm Terrace Lounge, The Island Hotel, 690 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660, 949-760-4920.